Glove



March 14, 1944.

w. o. WELLS, .JR 2,344,477

l GLOVE Filed Aug.V 16, 1941 Siwa/Whom mi F-wmf W Patented Mar. 14, 1944 GLOVE William 0. Wells, Jr., Evanston, Ill., assignor 4to Wells Lamont-Corporation, a corporation of Minnesota Application August 16, 1941, Serial No. 407,208

a claims. (cl. 2 159) This invention relates to gloves, and hasrfor its principal object the improvement of the front side of the glove with respect to its gripping qualities. ,y Y

' The invention is primarily intendedv forV use in gloves employed in driving automobiles, to permit of a better grip on the steering wheel being obtained, but it is also applicable to gloves for other` purposes having surfaces not adherently adapted to give a firm grip on an object received between the palm and fingers.

According to the invention supplemental gripping elements are secured to the face side of the glove in an arrangementsuch as to provide f is tiring to the hand.

In grasping automobile Vsteering wheels, for example, the upper portion of the palm at the base of the two middle lingers plays a particularly important part, and by providing a suitable gripping surface in this area, the ability of a glove to avoid slippage on objects'is greatly enhanced, and this improvement is `particularly noticeable where the object is held in thehand by only a loose grasp. The'invention provides a suitable grip element in the portion just reierred to, and makes use of further grip Velements in organized cooperative U arrangement therewith as will be hereafter described.

I further found thatrthe area at the base of the thumb between the front face of the thumb and palm are also particularly important portions cf the glove in gripping objects, and particular attention is given to this area in the invention because it appears that a gripping element of limited size at this point is far more eiective in improving the general gripping qualities of the glove than extensive gripping elements in other portions of the glove.

The invention will be understood by reference 'to the illustration in the accompanying drawing, and the following detailed description thereof'.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a glove embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross `section of one of the glove iingers-taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a lfragmentary-further view of the glove particularly showing the construction at the thumb and index finger. Y 4,

The glove illustrated is of knitted jersey cloth,

and is of a dress type. -Such gloves are com- `il) and includes the thumb portion II, index finger I2, middle fingers I3 and I4, and little finger I5.

According to the invention the gripping element in the form of a patch I1 is applied to the .palm I6 of the glove having its upper edge extending across the bases of the middle fingers I3 and I4, and terminating in a rounded lower end substantially on a line with the base of the crotch between the thumb II and index nger vI 2. Extending upwardly from the upper edge of the patch in `continuation thereof. are gripping strips I8 and I9 located on the respective front faces of middle fingers I3 and I4. When the fingers are bent around an object, the object is caused to firmly engage patch I1, and is firmly held between such element and strips I8 and I9.

While patch I1 should be so formed as to provide a continuous gripping vsurface in the central upper portion of the palm as shown, it is desirable that the same be limi'ted in its total width to the distancefacross the two middle fingers so as not tov impair the exibility of the glove in bending along a vertical line. Similarly, the vertical length of the patch is limited so that it will not impair the bending of the glove across the palm at the base of the knuckles.

As a further feature of the invention a gripping strip 20 is disposed on the palm in spaced relation to patch I1 extending downwardly around crotch 2I between index finger l2 and thumb II. As shown strip 20 preferably extends up index finger I2 and is provided with integral extension 22 extending up the inner face of thumb II. Strip 20, as in the case of strips I8 and I9, is relatively narrow, but by locating the same so as to extend around crotch 2I it is extremely effective in securing a lirm grip of the glove on an object as in the case of patch I'I, even though the object be only loosely grasped.

Patch I1 is preferably bordered on its other side by a further narrow strip 23 on the palm aligned with and usually extending up little finger I5. For purposes of appearance the lower end of strip 23 may be carried. dowrrthe palm tothe lower end of the glove without noticeably impairing the ability of the glove to benc` across the knuckles.

With the construction as described the upper palm area of the glove is provided with a central grip area of appreciable size through patch I1 and spaced narrow gripping areasU aligned with the first and little lingers through stripsv 20 and 23. Particularly important is the further gripping area provided at thumb crotch 2 I, and it may be here mentioned that while the grip areas on the fingers and thumb are useful to insure alirm grip of theglove. under. all fcircmnstances, a very effective gripcanbe obtained merely through. the provision of gripping means in2thecentral. :upper area-of Ythe palmand `in the localized area yoi thumb crotch 2 I.

The various gripping elementsv are preferably formed of relatively soft leather providing a.v good gripping'surface and suiiiciently thin to bend easily. Because .ofthe limitedlsize of the gripping elements they-may be lformed or' scrap leather so asnot to appreciably `increase thecost ofthe glove in incorporatinglthe'features of the invention. The gripping elements willl be secured'to the surface Vof the gloveV by suitable stitching or any other satisfactory 'seeuringemeans -`Prefer ably the upper edgeof patch I'I and the lower ends of. strips I8Y and I9` will bew turned in and incorporated in a seam 24 extending across the bases of lingers I3A and I4 aswill be understood from Fig. 2. It is desirable both for improved Wearing quality, and also to improve the gripping qualities that vthe edge of patch I'I be doubledupon itself in seam. 24 to 'provide an outwardly extending Weltend 25.

While the invention has beenpillustrated as applied to cloth dress gloves, and is particularly designed for use in driving automobiles, it will .be understood that it may be .employed in glovesof other types and adapted for other uses.

I claim:

1..A lcloth .driving glove having thumb and linger portions, and means. for increasing the gripping properties of the glove including a leather patch secured to the local upperpalm area with its upper edge located atthe bases of the middle fingers, saidY patch being of a width to lie only within spaced'vertical lines intersecting the respective crotches between the index and long middle ngers and between the smaller middle and little lingers, thereby facilitating flexing of `the glove along said vertical 'lines at said finger crotches, and being of a length to extend substantially only to a horizontal line at the base of the crotch between the thumb and index finger so as to leave exposed the cloth lower palm area below the patch and facilitate flexing of such area, and laterally spaced leather gripping strips secured to and extending up the front of the two middle lingers from the upper edge of the patch.

2. A cloth driving glove having thumb and linger portions, and means for increasing the gripping properties of the glove including a leather patch secured to the local upper palm area with its upper edge located at the bases of the middle lingers, said patch being of a width to lie only within spaced vertical lines intersecting the respective crotches between the index and long :niddle fingers and between the smaller middle land little lingers, thereby facilitating flexing of the glove along said vertical lines at said linger crotches, `and being of a length to extend substantially only to a horizontal line at the base of the crotch between the thumb and index linger so as to leave exposed the cloth lower palm area below Ythe patch and facilitate flexing of such area, laterally spaced leather gripping strips secured toand extendingupv the front ofthe two middle fingers. from thev uppereclge of the. patch, and a U-shaped further leather gripping. strip laterally spaced from the patch and located on the opposite side of the line of. the crotch between the index and lomgrrniddley lingers from the patch, said Ushaped strip being. located in the thumb crotch and extending up and secured to the front faces of. the thumb and index linger.

3. A cloth driving glove having thumb and linger portions, and means,.forincreasing the gripping .properties of .the glove including a leather patch secured to the. local vupper palm area withv its upper .edge located .at the bases of the middle. lingers, saidpatch being of-a width tov lie only within spaced vertical .lines intersecting the respective crotchesbetween theindex andlQng middle lingers and .between the smaller middle and little lingers, thereby facilitating liexing of theA glove. along said vertical linesat Said finger crotches, and .being of a .length-to. extend substantially only to. a horizontal line at the. base of theY crotchbetween thethumb and index finger so as to leave exposed the. cloth .lower palm area below the patch and facilitate exing of such area, laterally spaced leather` gripping strips secured to and extending kupthefront of the two middle lingers from theupper Vedge of thepatch, .and further leathergripping strips laterally spaced from the patch and located on opposite sides therefrom of the respective lines of thercrotches between the index and longmiddle fingers and between the smaller middle and little lingers, one of said further strips being secured .to and extending up the palm and the front of the little linger and the other ,said further strip being secured to and Vextending down the front of the thumb to the thumb crotch and thenup the palm and vfront of the index finger.

WILLIAM O. WELLS, JR. 

